It is generally known to equip a machine, such as a tractor, skid steer, or other vehicle or implement or the like, with a stump grinder that has a driven cutting wheel or disc designed to be used for grinding a stump. It is understood that such a stump grinder typically exerts forces against the stump via the cutting wheel during the grinding procedure for cutting, chipping, grinding, or otherwise removing the stump. In some instances, these forces may be excessive for the hardness or density of the stump, sharpness of the cutting wheel, rotational speed of the cutting wheel, or other operating condition, such that the cutting wheel may grab or stall or undergo torque or lateral forces that may damage the cutting wheel, the drive system that rotates the cutting wheel, or other components of the stump grinder or the corresponding machine equipped with the stump grinder.